Originally Posted by
goaround2000
Once again my brother, it's not an issue of intent, but the 5 mile separation is there for a reason. It takes care of all variables, so that we don't have to raise the element of risk to accommodate flow. I'm all about helping you guys out, but not at the expense of safety. You and I both know that there are more slots in EWR between 1800Z and 2300Z than the airport can handle, yet you and I are forced to mask the problem by trying to make it work.
So honest question for you: If you guys are ok with "safety first", why is it that any time we use the words "unable" on approach we get a great deal of grief by the controllers? Again in the spirit of working together I'm more than happy to try things so long as it doesn't compromise the safety of my passengers, if/when pilots say the word "unable", there is a reason, and during the approach I may not have time to elaborate, nor is it in the regulations that I should.
Please understand this is not an assault on you folks, but rather talking about the 800lb gorilla that no one wants to talk about. It's time to put the pressure on the folks that are really causing the problem, needless to say it isn't you or me. The best thing the FAA can do at this point is de-peak EWR. Would that make your job safer? Absolutely, would it anger your main client in EWR something awful? Yes, no doubt you guys might get a few calls, but if you were putting your family in the back of my plane, which one would you rather have?
I agree with you 100%. Safety first, and nothing else matters. We're on the same page on that. I was just trying to give you an insight into how we view visual approaches here at N90. Its a tool to allow the final to compress to a point where doing it IFR would not be possible.
I agree that the solution is to spread out the slots to other times. There are many time slots that are not being used, and we could probably land another 200 flights per 24 hour period if you moved arrivals evenly to cover each time slot, but....that depends on your companies.
As for the last part... I don't get angry if I get an unable. I may get frustrated about the prospect of having to send you around, or take you out for resequence, because that means extra work. but I would never get angry because a pilot chooses to be safe and not accept a visual. I am probably one of the controllers in my area that uses visual on final the least, because I rarely nitiate asking for it, but if a pilot tells me "we got the DH8 over TEB in sight", I'll give them the clearance.
The controllers that depend on visuals all the time to make it work are "weak" in my book. Its usually supervisors that like to push visuals when they're getting "proficiency" time, and some of the younger, less experienced ones, as well as a couple of the old, near retirement age with "burn out" syndrome that are losing their touch.